Two sexual assaults reported at Kennesaw State during first week

Two sexual assaults have been reported at Kennesaw State University’s main campus during the first week of fall classes.

In the first incident, a female Kennesaw State student reported being raped late August 22 or early on Aug. 23 while in a unit at an on-campus apartment complex at the University Village, where the suspect lives. The suspect, who was known and identified by the victim, was also a Kennesaw State student, according to an alert from university police.

In a second incident, a female Kennesaw State student reported being groped Thursday, Aug. 20, by a male in the Austin Residence Complex area. The student reported the alleged sexual battery occurred around 9:00 p.m. between two buildings of the on-campus apartment complex near the university amphitheater.

The student described the alleged suspect as a male, approximately 6 feet tall with blonde hair. The university has not identified the alleged suspect and is not able to determine whether he is a Kennesaw State student, a university spokeswoman said in an email to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Safety alerts were sent out to students, faculty and staff following both incidents, and both cases remain under investigation.

“While one case is too many and sexual assault absolutely will not be tolerated at Kennesaw State, our efforts to educate our students are working and students are doing the right thing by reporting these incidents,” K.C. White, Kennesaw State’s vice president for student affairs said in a statement following the alleged rape.

The University System of Georgia launched a system-wide campus safety initiative in May for all 30 of its institutions, including Kennesaw State. The system has named a coordinator to oversee the handling of sexual assault cases, and is implementing mandatory sexual assault training for campus employees and freshmen students.

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